Color pale gr ey to br ownish, slightly dar kerover back, belly white to yellowish-brown. Sides of headand flanks with golden tints. Iris grey with a narrow silveror golden rim around pupil. Fins grey to dark reddish-brown. Pelvic and anal fin margins white. Scales smalland almost rectangular. Gill rakers on lower arch anteriorlyvariably developed, sometimes reduced to bumps.Larger rakers reach second adjacent raker when appressed.Pharyngeal teeth hooked. Mouth inferior, horseshoe-shaped with moderate to thick fleshy lips and variablydeveloped median lower lip lobe. Barbels thick, anteriorone not extending beyond nostrils and posterior onenot exceeding posterior eye margin. Last dorsal fin spinemoderate to strong with many dense denticles on morethan half of spine length, but lost in adults. Gut elongatewith 2-3 anterior loops. In streams with rapid water,gravel and sand bottoms and a rich benthos. Maximumage 6 years and total length 43 cm. Maturity at 2-3 yearsand 20-28 cm. Spawning in April-August. Absolute fecundityup to 25,000 eggs of up to 2.5 mm in diameter.Food include insects, crustaceans, worms and algae